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No Nissan Hydrogen Vehicle Forthcoming: Vice Chairman Shiga

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Nissan Hydrogen Vehicle

Vice Chairman Toshiyuki Shiga: No Nissan hydrogen vehicle expected, focus set on EVs

There is a renewed public interest in developing affordable hydrogen fuel cell vehicles after Toyota revealed its Mirai, Honda its updated FCEV Conecpt, and Audi its A7 Sportback h-tron Quattro at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show. Nissan, on the other hand, ain’t having none of that.

Nissan Vice Chairman Toshiyuki Shiga told The Japan Times that the automaker will not rush into putting a fuel-cell vehicle into production, saying instead that the focus remains on its electric vehicle lineup.

“Nissan is still the leader of the electric vehicle (and) wants to keep the lead in the world,” Shiga said.

Given Nissan’s commitment to EVs—evidenced by its best-selling LEAF—the automaker will not need to go into panic mode as emissions restrictions tighten. While Shiga doesn’t outright deny the possibility of a Nissan hydrogen vehicle, he notes reservations about the technology with regards to the cost of infrastructure, saying that it’s still a hefty investment even when factoring in the potential for subsidies being offered by the Japanese government in the near future.

“Without government support, it is quite difficult to launch fuel-cell cars now, not only in Japan but also other countries. The electric vehicle is (currently) more economically feasible for the customers,” Shiga added.